Research: Proposal

Assoc Prof Dr Balan

Rathakrishnan
Panel Penilai FRGS Dan Grant UMS
Research Proposal – Definitions - 1

“… the meaning of proposal … suggests

looking forward, to what the researcher
plans to do in the future. … The proposal
lays out the problem for research,
describes exactly how the research will be
conducted, and outlines in precise detail
the resources – both factual and
instrumental – the researcher will use to
achieve the desired results.”
Leedy & Omrod, Practical Research. 8th ed, p. 117, 115.
Research Proposal – Definitions - 2

“A research proposal is a document that

describes the essential features of a study
to be conducted in the future, as well as
the strategy whereby the inquiry may be
logically and successfully accomplished.”
Busha & Harter, Research Methods in Librarianship,
p. 343.
Research Proposal - Definitions - 3

“The academic research proposal is a

structured presentation of what you plan
to do in research and how you plan to do
it.”
Smith, p. 34
Introduction
 …is format and detailed statement of intent of the researcher
 …..presents and justifies a plan of action and shows the investigation plan
Introduction
Question to be asked
What is the problem?
Why should be studied?
What information is already
available?
Why do conduct research?
What is the achievement of
the research?
How to carry out the
research?
How to collect data and
information?
Wherefrom to collect data and
information?
Steps to be taken Elements of the step
Selection and statement of -Problem identification
the problem - Problem prioritization
- Justification
Literature review -Sources
-Reviewing
Formulation of aim and -- Aim, goals
objectives -General and specific objectives
- Hypothesis
Research methodology -Variables
- Types of the research
- Data collection techniques
- Sampling
- Data analysis process, plan
-Data processing plan
-Data interpretation process, plan
Introduction
Question to be asked Steps to be taken Elements of the step

Who will collect and when? Work plan -Personnel, manpower

- Timetable

How will be monitored? Research administration -Administration

How the research findings will plan - Monitoring
be used? -Identification of potential users
What and how much resources Budget -3 Ms: Man, materials, money
are needed? Funding Organizations - Fund collection, fund raising
Who will provide the resources ?
Who will submit? Proposal preparation -Researcher
How to submit? Proposal presentation - Proposal
Where to submit? Appropriate authority - Presentation techniques
What is a research proposal?
 Various terminologies are used to mean a research proposal depending on
why the research is carried out?
 Research outline
 Synopsis of research
 Plan of research
 Research/project proposal
 Thesis plan
 Etc
 .. ..a blue print of future activities of a research project
 …..some sort of preconceived framework for starting the activities
 …..deals with ideas of researcher about what research he/she wants to do,
what objectives and methodology he/she has set, how much time and resources
are required to complete it, how the research finding are to be reported, and so
on.
What is a research proposal?
 …..deals with ideas of researcher about
 what research he/she wants to do
 what objectives and methodology he/she has set
 how much time and resources are required to complete it
 how the research finding are to be reported
 and so on.
 ..is an individual’s or a research institute's formal offer to produce a product
or render service to a client in response to a request from the client
 ….a work plan, prospectus, outline, and statement of intent ahead.
 In short, he/she is proposing a work frame for completing the research
How to write research proposal?

 A research proposal is intended to convince others that you have a

worthwhile research project and that you have the competence and the work-
plan to complete it.

 Generally, a research proposal should contain all the key elements involved in
the research process and include sufficient information for the readers to evaluate
the proposed study.

 Regardless of your research area and the methodology you choose, all
research proposals must address the following questions:
 What you plan to accomplish
 why you want to do it and
 how you are going to do it.
How to write research proposal?
 The proposal should have sufficient information to convince your readers
that you have an important research idea, that you have a good grasp of the
relevant literature and the major issues, and that your methodology is sound.

Title
It should be concise and descriptive. Often titles are stated in terms of a
functional relationship, because such titles clearly indicate the independent and
dependent variables. However, if possible, think of an informative but catchy
title. An effective title not only pricks the reader's interest, but also predisposes
him/her favourably towards the proposal.

Abstract
It is a brief summary of approximately 300 words. It should include the research
question, the rationale for the study, the hypothesis (if any), the method and the
main findings.
How to write research proposal?
Introduction
The main purpose of the introduction is to provide the necessary background or
context for your research problem. How to frame the research problem is
perhaps the biggest problem in proposal writing.

However, try to place your research question in the context of either a current
"hot" area, or an older area that remains viable. Secondly, you need to provide a
brief but appropriate historical backdrop. Thirdly, provide the contemporary
context in which your proposed research question occupies the central stage.
Finally, identify "key players" and refer to the most relevant and representative
publications. In short, try to paint your research question in broad brushes and at
the same time bring out its significance.

How to write research proposal?
The introduction generally covers the following elements:
 State the research problem, which is often referred to as the purpose of the study
 Provide the context and set the stage for your research question in such a way as to
show its necessity and importance
 Present the rationale of your proposed study and clearly indicate why it is worth doing
 Briefly describe the major issues and sub-problems to be addressed by your research.
 Identify the key independent and dependent variables of your experiment.
Alternatively, specify the phenomenon you want to study
 State your hypothesis or theory, if any. For exploratory or phenomenological research,
you may not have any hypotheses. (Please do not confuse the hypothesis with the
statistical null hypothesis.)
 Set the delimitation or boundaries of your proposed research in order to provide a
clear focus.
 Provide definitions of key concepts. (This is optional.)
How to write research proposal?
Literature Review
 most professors prefer a separate section, which allows a more thorough review of the
literature
The literature review serves several important functions:
 Ensures that you are not "reinventing the wheel“
 Gives credits to those who have laid the groundwork for your research
 Demonstrates your knowledge of the research problem
 Demonstrates your understanding of the theoretical and research issues related to your
research question
 Shows your ability to critically evaluate relevant literature information
 Indicates your ability to integrate and synthesize the existing literature
 Provides new theoretical insights or develops a new model as the conceptual
framework for your research
 Convinces your reader that your proposed research will make a significant and
substantial contribution to the literature (i.e., resolving an important theoretical issue or
filling a major gap in the literature).
How to write research proposal?

Methods
The Method section is very important because it tells your Research Committee how you
plan to tackle your research problem. It will provide your work plan and describe the
activities necessary for the completion of your project
 The guiding principle for writing the Method section is that it should contain sufficient
information for the reader to determine whether methodology is sound
 Furthermore, since there are no well-established and widely accepted canons in
qualitative analysis, your method section needs to be more elaborate than what is
required for traditional quantitative research
 More importantly, the data collection process in qualitative research has a far greater
impact on the results as compared to quantitative research.
How to write research proposal?
For quantitative studies, the method section typically consists of the following sections:
 Design -Is it a questionnaire study or a laboratory experiment? What kind of design do
you choose?
 Subjects or participants - Who will take part in your study ? What kind of sampling
procedure do you use?
 Instruments - What kind of measuring instruments or questionnaires do you use? Why
do you choose them? Are they valid and reliable?
 Procedure - How do you plan to carry out your study? What activities are involved?
How long does it take?
How to write research proposal?
Results
Obviously you do not have results at the proposal stage. However, you need to have some
idea about what kind of data you will be collecting, and what statistical procedures will be
used in order to answer your research question or test you hypothesis.

Discussion
It is important to convince your reader of the potential impact of your proposed research.
You need to communicate a sense of enthusiasm and confidence without exaggerating the
merits of your proposal. That is why you also need to mention the limitations and
weaknesses of the proposed research, which may be justified by time and financial
constraints as well as by the early developmental stage of your research area.
How to write research proposal?
Common Mistakes in Proposal Writing
 Failure to provide the proper context to frame the research question
 Failure to delimit the boundary conditions for your research
 Failure to cite landmark studies
 Failure to accurately present the theoretical and empirical contributions by other
researchers
 Failure to stay focused on the research question
 Failure to develop a coherent and persuasive argument for the proposed research
 Too much detail on minor issues, but not enough detail on major issues
 Too much rambling -- going "all over the map" without a clear sense of direction. (The
best proposals move forward with ease and grace like a seamless river.)
 Too many citation lapses and incorrect references
 Too long or too short.

(Paul T. P. Wong, Ph.D., C.Psych. Research Director, Graduate Program in Counselling

Psychology, Trinity Western University, Langley, BC, Canada)
Guidelines on writing a research proposal

 Proposal writing is important to your pursuit of a graduate degree. The proposal is, in
effect, an intellectual scholastic (not legal) contract between you and your committee.
 It specifies what you will do, how you will do it, and how you will interpret the results.
 The objective in writing a proposal is to describe what you will do, why it should be
done, how you will do it and what you expect will result. Being clear about these things
from the beginning will help you complete your thesis in a timely fashion.
 A vague, weak or fuzzy proposal can lead to a long, painful, and often unsuccessful
thesis writing exercise.
 A clean, well thought-out, proposal forms the backbone for the thesis itself. The
structures are identical and through the miracle of word-processing, your proposal will
probably become your thesis.
 A good thesis proposal hinges on a good idea. Once you have a good idea, you can
draft the proposal in an evening.
 Proposals help you estimate the size of a project. Don't make the project too big.
Guidelines on writing a research proposal

The (Longer) Standard Model

A Basic Proposal Outline:
Introduction
 Topic area
 Research question
 Significance to knowledge
Literature review
 Previous research others & yours
 Interlocking findings and Unanswered questions
 Your preliminary work on the topic
 The remaining questions and inter-locking logic
 Reprise of your research question(s) in this context


Guidelines on writing a research proposal

Methodology
 Approach
 Data needs
 Analytic techniques
 Plan for interpreting results
Expected results
Budget
Bibliography (or References)
Guidelines on writing a research proposal

The Basic Thesis Outline

Introduction
 Topic area
 Research question (finding?)
 Significance to knowledge
Literature review
 Previous research others & yours
 Interlocking findings and Unanswered questions
 Your preliminary work on the topic
 The remaining questions and inter-locking logic
 Reprise of your research question(s) in this context
Guidelines on writing a research proposal

Methodology
 Approach
 Data needs
 Analytic techniques
 Plan for interpreting results
Results
Discussion and Conclusions
Bibliography
Components/elements of research
proposal
 Title
 Introduction
 Statement of the problem
 Rationale/justification/significance of the research
 Scope and limitations of the study
 Review of literature
 Objectives of the research
 Operational definitions of terms used
 Hypothesis
 Methodology Used
 Time schedule/work plan
 Budget/estimated cost built up
 Organization of the report/chapter outline
 Bibliography/References
 Conclusions
 Appendix
Components/elements of research
proposal
Title
 First page – title of the research; researcher’s name; name of institute/organization
where the researcher belongs; name of the sponsoring organization, name of the
supervisor, co-supervisor; date; etc
 In selecting the title, the following points should be taken care of:
 Reflect the theme of the research
 Be self-explanatory
 Be brief
 Language be simple and unambiguous
 Be specific to a particular domain
 Bracket; arithmetic figures, etc be avoided
 Avoid confusing meaning




Components/elements of research
proposal
Introduction
 Thereoretical background
 Background of the problem
 Etc

Statement of the problem

 Definition
 Nature
 Extent
Components/elements of research
proposal
Rationale/justification/significance of the research
 Importance
 Addressing the national context problem
 Bridging the knowledge gaps
 Useful to the society/community
 Present state of affairs
 Affected stakeholders

Scope and limitations of the study

 Boundaries of the research
 Aspects and issues addressed
 Shortcomings of the research – resource and time constraints
Components/elements of research
proposal
Review of literature
 Researches so conducted; vital information
 Issues discussed; unaddressed issues
 Relevancy to the present research
 Finding out information/knowledge gaps

Objectives of the research

 Contextual/consistent to the title
 Concise, clear-cut, expressed in simple language, precise, self-explanatory
 Distinctive, quantifiable , measurable
 Two types of objectives : general/broad/overall; specific
Components/elements of research
proposal
Operational definitions of terms used
 Clear-cut meaning of the terms used

Hypothesis
 Proposition subject to verification
 May be null, accepted, rejected
 Guide/lead the research

Methodology Used
 Selection of appropriate approach
 Tools/techniques to be used
 Data collection techniques
 Data processing, analysis, interpretation techniques
 Data/information presentation techniques
Components/elements of research
proposal
Time schedule/work plan
 Time line of the assigned tasks
 Time line of the resource flow – 3Ms

Budget/estimated cost built up

 Cost built up – resource personnel, support staff, stationery, transport, utilities, house
rents, miscellaneous, etc
Organization of the report/chapter outline
 Outline of the dissertation/report
 Four major parts of the report: introductory, findings and discussion, summary, and
conclusion

Part Desired share (%) Acceptable share (%)

Introductory 10 15
Findings and Discussion 80 70
Summary and Conclusion 10 15
Total 100 100
Components/elements of research
proposal
Bibliography/References
 Related documents to be consulted/studies
 Follow technicalities in writing bibliography/references
 To be presented in alphabetic order
 To be presented in classified manner viz., manuscripts, books, journals, commission
reports, newspapers, etc

Conclusion
 State about the feasibility of the proposed research/study
 Upcoming challenges
 Upcoming treats, difficulties, hindrances
 Make a conclusive remak
Tips and Tricks
 Read and read
 Take notes
 Talk to supervisors, experts, fellows
 Write topics and topics
 Get confused, get afraid
 Generate a number of research questions
 Systematize research questions
 Cut down these in line with your coherent thinkings
Common Mistakes
 To provide context to frame research question(s)
 To delimit the boundary of research issue(s)
 To cite landmark studies undertaken so far
 To present accurate theoretical background of the study
 To focus the research questions(s)
 To develop coherent and persuasive arguments
 Too much detailed or too much short on major issues
 Too much rambling – going all over without clear cut sense of direction
 Incorrect citation/references
 Too long or too short

DOs and DO NOTs
 DO
 Produce/prepare a professional looking proposal
 Make it interesting
 Make it informative, meaningful
 Write easy way to read
 Present content in a page
 Use clear headings/sub-headings
 Be concise, precise
 Check spelling, grammar
 Present in accurate/acceptable format

 DO NOTs
 Use of difficult ward unimpressive to the readers/supervisor
 What is research?
• research. 1.a. the systematic
investigation into and study of materials,
sources, etc, in order to establish facts
and reach new conclusions. b. an
endeavour to discover new or collate old
facts etc by the scientific study of a
subject or by a course of critical
investigation. [Oxford Concise
Dictionary]
1
 What is research?
• Research is what we do when we have a
question or a problem we want to resolve
• We may already think we know the answer to
our question already
• We may think the answer is obvious, common
sense even
• But until we have subjected our problem to
rigorous scientific scrutiny, our 'knowledge'
remains little more than guesswork or at best,
intuition.

2
 What is research?
• First priority is to formulate your question
• Then figure out how you are going to
answer it
– How have others answered it?
– How does your proposal fit in with what others
have done?
– How will you know when you have answered
it?
• Then you can present your answer
3
 Classical scientific method
• Observation of some phenomenon
– Maybe systematic, occasional or accidental
• Some idea of an explanation (hypothesis)
– Induction, conjecture, intuition, guesswork
– Usually informed by related work
• Testing of the hypothesis
– Test and revision cycle

4
 Hypothesis
• Probability of research
– Nothing is certain
– The exception that “proves” the rule
– Scientific “truth” is actually usually a statement of
what is most probable given the currently known data
...
– ... within the given framework
• Statistical techniques try to help us show extent
to which our results really do support the
hypothesis
5
 Hypothesis
• A hypothesis makes a prediction of the expected
outcome in a given situation
• Usually: how the manipulation of the
independent variable will influence the
behaviour of a dependent variable
• The hypothesis is tested in an experiment
• Experimental design ensures that what you are
doing is genuinely (and solely) responsible for
the results
• Extraneous variables have to be controlled

6
 Experiment
• If the experiment works, the hypothesis is
shown to be probably correct
– Can’t prove 100% truth
• If it fails, it could be because
– The hypothesis is wrong
– The experimental design is faulty

7
 Null hypothesis
• Experiments are generally set up to demonstrate
or support (rarely “prove” , note) a hypothesis
• The null hypothesis H0 is that any observed
changes in behaviour are due to chance
• The alternate hypothesis H1 is the hypothesis
you are trying to demonstrate
• Usually, the best you can do is refute H0 thus
showing that H1 is probably correct (with a
measruable degree of likelihood: statistical
significance)

8
Where do hypotheses come from?
• Not usually thin air
• From within a framework
– Some phenomenon is not well explained by
current thinking
– “New” hypothesis is often just an adaptation
of an existing hypothesis
• thesis ~ antithesis ~ synthesis

9
 thesis ~ antithesis ~ synthesis
• Thesis
– the original statement of an idea
• Antithesis
– an argument to challenge a previous thesis
– often draws on new data
• Synthesis
– a new argument from existing sources
– typically, resolves the apparent contradiction
between a thesis and an antithesis
10
 Testability
• A good hypothesis is testable
– Not provable, in the sense of “shown to be
true” (true = certain)
– Refutation of a thesis by proving that it is false
is a cornerstone of modern science
– Simply refuting a hypothesis is OK but better
science will explain why hypothesis is wrong,
and (better still) offer an alternative
hypothesis

11
By the way, have you ever wondered why
we do experiments at school, the result of
which is known beforehand?

12
 One-/two-tailed hypotheses
• Our experimental design may make either
– a strong prediction about the behaviour we expect to
observe:
• our manipulation of the independent variable will cause a
specific change in the dependent variable
– a prediction about a range of behaviours we expect to
observe, typically perhaps two
• One-tailed hypothesis: statistical significance
means expected result was found
• Two-tailed hypothesis: only need to show that
the different results are statistically significant

13
 Variables
• The experiment measures the “behaviour”
of the dependent variable
• DV must be operationalised
– Some aspect of the DV must be measurable
– What to measure?
– How to measure it?
• Are you really measuring what you think you are
measuring?

14
 Quantitative vs qualitative
• Quantitative research
– systematically observe changes in the
phenomena of interest while manipulating
what are believed to be causal influences
• Qualitative research
– may be more concerned with the individual’s
personal experiences of the problem under
study

15
 “Proof” by demonstration
• Intuitive alternative to the classical scientific
method:
– Build something specific and then claim that it can be
seen as an example of a more general class of
solutions
• High risk
– difficult to demonstrate generalisability
– in fact doing so entails making an a posteriori
hypothesis
– What can you say if it goes wrong ?
• So you still need a theoretical basis
16
 Planning
• Statement of the problem
• Literature review
• Choice of research method
• Design of study
• Data collection
• Analysis of data
• Write-up

17
• http://www.chssc.salford.ac.uk/healthSci/rem99/resmeth/planning.htm

18
Writing an Effective

Research Proposal

By
ASSOC PROF Dr Balan Rathakrishnan
Panel Penilai FRGS Dan Grant UMS
 Preliminary Remarks

 Status of Current Research

 Quantity
 Quality
 Reasons – Research Skills
 Language
 Analytical Skills
− Philosophy
− Logic
 Statistics
 Communication skills
 Research Teams
 Research Support Lab
 Familiarity with Statistics

Basic Rules

1. Always consult a qualified statistician – Very early

2. Know enough about statistics to be able to view the advice

critically

3. Understand the process of analysis

Essential Characteristic of a Researcher
 Some Basic Ideas

Question

Doubt

Confidence

Four Questions
What data / evidence do I need?
What will be the source of that data / evidence?
How will I collect that data / evidence?
How will I analyze that data / evidence?
 Terms Used

Proposal

Synopsis

Prospectus
 Research Proposal – Main Elements

• An outline of the research problem

• A statement of the significance of the problem
• A review of related studies
• A discussion of the procedures
• Methods for data collection and analysis
• A note about the study’s limitations
 Components of a Research Proposal

• Title of the proposal

• Background of the problem
• Statement of the problem
• Research objectives, questions, hypotheses
• Significance of the study
• Review of related literature
• Definition of terms
• Delimitations and limitations
• Research methods and procedures
• Expected results
• Preliminary working bibliography
Punch, K. F. (2007). Developing Effective Research Proposals (2 ed.). Los Angeles,
CA: SAGE Publications.
 Writing an introduction or background

The deficiencies model of an ‘introduction’ is a general template for

writing a good introduction that consists of five parts.

• The research Problem

• Studies that have addressed the problem
• Deficiencies in the studies
• The significance of the study for particular
audiences
• The purpose statement
 Potential Sources of Research Problems - 1

• Scanning and reading published and unpublished

research
• Disagreeing with some previous research and
developing a new study to test its findings
• Gaps in explanations or in accepted principles
• Questioning the validity of a generally accepted
procedure
• Replication – Redoing the same thing with an
expectation of the same result
 Potential Sources of Research Problems - 2

• Designing and developing of new research tools

and techniques
• Developing new models
• Studying areas where knowledge or information is
scarce, out-of-date, or indefinite
• Attempting to deal with actual problems
• Networking or sharing ideas and information with
colleagues
• Interdisciplinary research – Cross fertilization
(Economics of information, Bibliotherapy, etc.)
 Functions of the Statement of the Problem

• Establishes the existence of a unique problem

• Relates the problem to its general antecedents

• Suggests the benefits to be derived from the study

• Justifies the utility, significance, or interest
inherent in the pursuit of the problems
 Attributes Associated with the Statement of the
Problem – Top Nine

• Clarity and precision/accurate

• Identification of what to study
• Identification of an overarching question
• Definition of key concepts / terms
• Articulation/ clarity of study’s boundaries / parameters
• Some generalizability
• Conveyance/ the action or process of study’s importance,
benefits, and justification
• No use of unnecessary jargon
• Conveyance of more than descriptive data providing a
“snapshot”

(Study four related articles)

 Components of the Problem Statement

Any problem statement should contain four elements:

• A lead-in [narrative hook]

• Declaration of originality (mentioning a knowledge void which
would be supported by the literature review
• Indication of the central focus of the study (purpose
statement); and
• Explanation of study significance or benefits to be derived from
an investigation of the problem (Rationale or justification of the
study)
 Writing a Purpose statement - Guidelines

• Begin with signaling words such as “the purpose or intent of”

• Indicate the overall intent of the study such as “the intent is to
examine the role of school teacher in promoting reading
habit”
• Indicate the research design and strategy such as survey,
experiment, etc.
• Identify the independent and / or dependent variables
• Use words that connect the variables such as “the relationship
between” or “the comparison of” two or more variables
• Position or order the variables from left to right in purpose
statement with independent variable followed by the
dependent variable
• Make reference to the participant (unit of analysis) and mention
the research site
 Research Objectives, Questions, Hypotheses

• Emerge from the Statement of the Problem

• How the research problem is to be prepared to be
approached methodologically
• A precise and formal statement
• Wording of considerable importance
 Significance of the Study

• Why this study is significant?

• Why do it now?
• What will it contribute to the existing research
literature?
• What implications your findings may have?
• Who will benefit from it?

[Scholarly acceptability]
Review of Related Literature – Important Information

• Information concerning theory – findings

• Information concerning methods
• Information concerning data analysis
• Strengths and weaknesses

[Research summary note for each study]

 Purposes of Literature Review - 1

• Familiarity with the field of inquiry

• Provides a context for the proposed study
• Generation of research questions or hypotheses
for further studies
• Knowledge of the methodologies common to the
field
 Purposes of Literature Review - 2

• Can reveal sources of data that you may not have

known existed
• Demonstrates why it is important and timely
• To avoid or solve problems others have
encountered in their research (Limitations)
• Increase your confidence in your topic because
others have invested considerable time, effort,
and resources in studying it
 Steps in Conducting Literature Review - 1

1. Identify a research topic

2. Identify keywords/descriptors that are useful in locating
relevant information material
3. Develop an overall search strategy for the literature review
4. Search preliminary sources
5. Select relevant primary and secondary sources
6. Search the library for identified primary and secondary
sources
7. Establish a computer and paper trail including research
summaries in your own words that will be used in the
literature review
 Steps in Conducting Literature Review - 2

8. Repeat step 4–7 as needed to refine search

9. Develop themes/concepts that synthesize the literature
10. Relate the themes/concepts to one another through an outline
of the literature review, or a literature map
11. Produce a final literature review that structures or organizes
the literature thematically or by important concepts
12. Use the literature review to develop or refine the research
objectives, questions, and hypothesis
 Definition of Terms

• Variety and location

• Operational definition of all the major concepts to be
employed in the study
• Should cover all the essential terms in the Statement
of the Problem and the Research Objectives,
Questions, Hypotheses
• These definitions will establish the basis for the
objective tests for the outcomes of the proposed
study
 Delimitations and Limitations

• Establish the boundaries, exceptions, qualifications,

and reservations
• Delimitations - Before
 How the study will be narrowed in scope
 Controlled by the researcher

• Limitations – Before and After

 Factors that will affect the study
 Not controlled by the researcher
• Should appear when imposed by the nature of the
problem
Research Methods and Procedures – Main Decisions

• Method

• Population / Sample to be studied

• Instrumentation

• Data collection procedures

• Data analysis
 Selecting the Research Design

• True experimental design

• Quasi-experimental design

• Non-experimental design

• Historical design
 Preliminary Working Bibliography

• Materials cited in the proposal

• Quality, not quantity

• Full bibliographical details

• Style of citation
 Further Readings

1. Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed

Methods Approaches. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, p. 97–127.
2. Hernon, P. (2007). Editorial: what is problem statement? Library & Information
Science Research, 29, 307−309.
3. Hernon, P., & Metoyer-Duran, C. (1993). Problem statements: An exploratory
study of their function, significance, and form. Library & Information Science
Research, 15, 71−92.
4. Metoyer-Duran, C., & Hernon, P. (1994). Problem statements in research
proposals and published research: A case study of researchers' viewpoints.
Library & Information Science Research, 16, 105−118.
5. Nitecki, D. A. (2010). Guest editorial: Finalizing a research paper—findings
through conclusion. Library & Information Science Research, 32, 1−3.
6. Sproull, N. L. (1988). Handbook of research methods: A guide for practitioners
and students in the social sciences. London: Scarecrow Press, p. 140.
7. Teddlie, C., & Tashakkori, A. (2009). Foundations of Mixed Methods Research :
Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches in the Social and
Behavioral Sciences. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, p. 120–124.
 Please Continue Reading

and

Thank You